Apparatus for purifying lubricating oil



Filed Jan,

R. L. SKINNER APPARATUS FOR PURIFYING LUBRICATING OIL- Patented Nov. 29,l927.

RALPH L. SKINNRR, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO SKINNER AUTOMOTIVEDEVICE CO., INC., OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION 0F CALIFOR-NIA.

APPARATUS FOR IPURIFYING LUBRICATING OIL.

Application filed January 13, 1923. Serial No. 612,537.

Devices are now going into use on internalcombustion engines or motorswhich withdraw the more or less contaminated or d1- luted oil from themotor by suction or otherwise, and which subject it to heat 1n areclaiming or rectifying appliance whereby to drive off and to return to,the engine the gasiiable elements or constituents of thel liuidmixture, leaving the reclaimed or puri iiedfoil to be delivered to thelubricating lsystem of the engine for reuse.

It has been found to be desirable to provide an automatic or other meansto c'ontrol the amount or degree of heat to which such abstractedfluids, particularly the oil, are subjected in the rening or purifyingdevice, and accordingly the present invention relates to means for theaccomplishment of this purpose.

`When the engine is first started, and all of the parts, including theoil refining and storage tank, are comparatively cool or cold, it isdesirable to subject the withdrawn, impure oil to a relatively largedegree of heat, but in order not to overheat it under more normal ormore heated conditions, means are provided to control the heatingaction.

To this end, in the preferredembodiment of the invention, a thermostatis employed to by-pass the oilaround the heater to prevent undue orexcessive heating, the construction at times, however, vparticularlywhen the engine is first started, subjecting the oil to the whole heatavailable, although means other than a thermostat may be more or lesssatisfactorily employed' to accomplish this pur p In order that thoseskilled in this'art may have a full and complete understanding of thisinvention and its various structional and functional advantages, I haveillustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of thisspecification, a preferred and 'desirable embodiment of the invention,like reference characters being used for the same parts throughout the'several views. In this drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a partial, vertical central section through the improvedappliance; Fig. 24 is a complete vertical section through the device atright angles to the section of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3 3 ofFig. 2, the parts beingviewed in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

lower parts and apertures inthemarginal section ofthe division wall.

At its lower end, chamber 11 has an oildischarge pipe leading back tothe .lubricating system of the engine, as to the enginesump, such pipebeing fitted with an upwardly-closing ball-valve 15, the opening descentof which is limited by a cross-pin or retainer 16.

The horizontal division or separating wall 12 has an integral,upstanding, annular wall 18 spacedv inwardly' from the cylindrical wall13 and extended` up well into the upper compartment, A butv neverthelessleaving a substantiall gap. between its upper edge and the top wall ofthe chamber, all as is clearly shown in Figs. l and 2.

Also such member 12, which preferably has a dished or concave topsurface 19, has two valve-ports 20 and 22 extended verticallytherethrough inside of the wall 18, opening 250 being fitted with anupright pipe 21 projecting-into the upper compartment or chamber. 'v

These two valve-ports are designed to be opened and closed by a pair ofspaced valves 23 and 24 mounted side by side on an arm 25 fulcrumed4 on.a pin 26 mounted in a bifurcated lug 27 projecting downwardly from thewall 12, such arm also carrying an air-inlet or relief valve 28controlling an air-inlet port 29 opening sidewise through the edge ofthe element 12 to theouter air. Arm 25 and its valves are adapted to besnapped into their two different positions, raised or lowered, by a pairof coiled springs 31, 31, attached at one end to side wingsl 32, 32, onthe arm, and at the other end to similar lateral elements 33, 33, on anarm 34; also rockingly mounted on the pin 26, this arm being oscillatedas occasion requires by a link 35 connected thereto` and to a lever 36fulcmlmed at 37 on al lug 38 depending from lthe member 12, the free endof such lever being pivotally connected to an upward extension on afloat 39 in the lower chamber.

The lug 38 has a shoulder 41 limiting the descent or extent of downwardmovement of arm 34, and the part 12 has a shoulder 42 restricting theupward travel of element 34.

When the valves 23 and 24 are open, as they are normally, the air-valve28 is closed, and vice versa, when the latter is open, the other twovalves are closed.

By means of a pipe 44, the upper part of .the oil purifier is connectedto the intake manifold of the engine or motor, or to any other suitablemeans producing a suction or sub-atmospheric pressure; the connection ofsuch pipe to the tank also supporting a properly-shaped depending screen45 located inside of the wall 18 but outside of the pipe 21.

The upper .part 13 of the oil purifier is encased or enclosed in a shell46 constituting a heating jacket to which hot gases, such as the heatedproducts of combustion from the engine or motor, are admitted anddischarged trough the connecting pipes 47 and 48 The )element 12 has twodiametricallyopposed horizontal openings fitted with pipes 51, 52,connected to the engine in any approved manner for drawing off therefromthe fluids to be treated in the tank, these two openings communicatingwith upwardlyopening, curved passages 53 and 54 between the walls 13 and18 at the bottoms thereof, as is more clearly indicated in Fig. 3.

The circular wall 18, preferably, but not necessarily, midway y-betweenthe passages 53 and 54, has an opening or port 55 through its lowerportion, and the same wall near its upper edge has riveted or otherwisefastened thereto a two-metal thermostatic bar or strip 56 adapted whenhot to assume the position shown in Fig. 2, thus opening the port 55,and designed when cool to close such port, as will be readilyunderstood.

The appliance operates substantially as follows: v

When the internal-combustion engine or motor with which the appliance isassociated is started, and assuming that the pipe 44 is connected to itsintake manifold, a suitable suction or sub-atmospheric pressure iscreated throughout the piping system and the refining tank or trap,causing the aerated fluids` containing as substantial ingredients thecontaminated lubricating oil and sonic unconsnnied liquid or gaseousfuel to be withdrawn from the engine, preferably from around itsreciprocating pistons. and to bc delivered through the pipes 51 and 52and passages 53 and 54 into tht` annular space between the circularwalls 13 and 18.

Such space being substantially larger in cross section than the pipes,the lifting action on the fluids is somewhat reduced so that it takessome time for the fluids to fill the whole height of this space,whereupon they pass or flow inwardly over the top of wall 18.

At such commencementv of the action or operation of the engine, the port55 is closed by the thermostatic valve 5G because the parts of themechanism are cold and the fluids also are relatively colti.

The temperature increases in the encasing jacket by reason of theexhaust gases flowing through it.

Under these conditions, all of the heat in theJ jacket is needed to acton the fluids to gasify or vaporize their volatile constituents, thuspurifying and reclaiming the liquid lubricating-oil.

The gases and vapors pass oil throu h the screen and through the pipe 44to the intake manifold of the engine, where they are mixed with the fuelflowing to the engine and consumed therein, the refined or reclaimed oildischarging down through the port 22 into the lower storage part of thetank, the displaced air in the latter passing up through port 20 andpipe 21, where it becomes mixed with the gases and vapors withoutdisturbing or interrupting the downward flow of oil into the lowercompartment.

As the eneine and heated refining or purifying eham'ber continue inoperation, less heat is required in the latter to fully perform thefluid-treating operation because the heater itself becomes hotter andthe oil is also of a higher temperature.

Accordingly, when the temperature of the fluids or oil reaches apredetermined limit, say 225 Fahrenheit, for example, the thermostatvalve 56 opens port 55 and all of the oil from then on is thus by-passedthrough this port out of contact with or. away from the heater into thecentral part of the upper chamber, -whereby under such circumstances theoil does not come into contact with the heater.

Thus the improved appliance gives adequate heat when starting withoutundue heating under normal running conditions.

When the engine stops and the suction ends, the fluids in the upperrefining portion of the tank and in the pipes 5l and 52 recede or flowdownwardly because they lack the lifting or sustaining action of thepreviously exerted suction.

Also, as the purifying tank becomes cooler, the valve 56'closes the port55, ready for a resumption of the operations as described above when thecool engine is started.

The purified oil gradually accumulates in the lower chamber 11. and whenit reaches a proper level` the float quickly closes the two valves 23and 24, opening valve 28, thus preventing interference with thesub-atmospheric conditions in the upper refining part of the chamberwhile establishing an atmospheric condition in the lower storagecompartment, causing an opening of valve 15 and a delivery of the oil tothe engine, and as soon as the oat reaches a definite lower,

Various minor mechanical changes may be .incorporated "in the structureshown and described without departure froml the substance and essence ofthe invention, and without the saciificefaof any of its substantialbenefits and advantages, this being merely onejdesirable embodiment ofthe invention, the latter being susceptible of other satisfactoryincorporations in physical form.

rlhis 'patent is in part a continuation of my earlier pendino patentapplication, Serial No. 587,026,11ed september sth, 1922.

I claim:

l. lln an oil-rectifying appliance 'of the character described, thecombination of an oil-refining chamber, a heater for said chamber meansto cause fiuids to flow through said chamber, means to cause the `iuidsentering said chamber to pass adjacent to said heater to be subjected toits action, means having a by-pass tory the fluids. traversing saidchamber, and thermostatic means conaction of said heater thereon..

2. In an oil-refining appliance of the character described, thecombination of an upper oil-purifying chamber, a lowerstoragecompartment, a valve-controlled connection between said chamberand compartment, means to cause the oil undergoing treatment to traversesaid chamber and compartment, a heater for said oil-purifying chamberonly, means to cause contaminated oil entering said chamber to passadjacent to said heater to be subjected to its action, said means havinga by-pass for said oil, and thermostatic means controlling said by-pass,whereby under certain temperature conditions said oil will beautomatically permittedto travel through such lay-pass and inlargemeasure escape the action of said heater thereon.

3. In an oil-refining appliance of the character described, thecombination of a reining tank having an upper oil-purifying chamber, alower storage-compartment, and a division wall between the two having avalve-coni trollecl connection between the chamber and compartment, saiddivision wall having an ,upstanding wall inside of and spaced in-'standing wall having a by-pass port therethrough, a thermostatic valveautomatically controlling said port, a heater encasing saidoil-purifying chamber, means to discharge the contents of saidstorage-compartment, and means to deliver the gaseous and vapor contentsseparated from the impure oil in said oil-purifying chamber.v

4. ln an apparatus for rectifying impure lubricatingoil, the combinationof a tank having an upper oil-refining chamber and a lower oil-storagecompartment, a ported division wall between said chamber andcompart-ment, valve-meanscontrolling said ports, a float in saidcompartment governing the action of said Valve-means, valve-meanscontrolling the 'discharge of the purified oil from said compartment,means to admit impure oil into said chamber, means to apply suction tosaid chamber to facilitate the oilrefining action therein and towithdraw the gases and vapors, means to heat said chamber only, andbaiie means in said chamber causing the entering oil to pass adjacent tothe heated wall thereof and to form an oil-puritying space into whichsuch heated oil passes.

ln an apparatus for rectifying impure lubricating` oil, the combinationof a. tank having an upper oil-refining chamber and a lower oil-storagecompartment, a ported division wall between said chamber andcompartment, valve-means cont-rolling said ports, a `iioat in saidcompartment governing the action of said valve-means, valve-meanscontrolling the ,discharge of the purified oil from said compartment,means to admit impure oil into said chamber, means to apply suction tosaid chamber to facilitate the nil-refining action therein and towithdraw the gases and vapors, means to heat said chamber only, baillemeans in said chamber causing the entering'oil to pass adjacent to theheated wall thereof andto form an oilpuritying space into whichsuch'heated oil passes, said. baille means having a by-pass therethroughfor the uids 'traversing the chamber, and thermostatic means controllingsaid bypass, whereby under certain -ternperature conditions said uidswill be automatically caused to travel through. such bypass and in alarge measure'escape the action oi said heater thereon.

6. In an apparatus for rectifying impure lubricating oil, thecombination of a tank having an upper oil-refining chamber and a loweroil-storage compartment, a ported division wall betweenthe chamber andcompartment, valve-means controlling said ports, a float in saidcompartment governing the action of said valve-means, valve-meanscontrolling the discharge of purified oil from said compartment, meansto admit impure oil into said chamber, means to apply suction to saidchamber to facilitate the oil-refining action therein and to withdrawthe gaaes and vapors` means to heat said chamber only, tions said oilwill be automatically caused to said division wall having an upstandingtravel through said luy-pass port and in a 10 baffle wall inside of ands aced inwardly large measure escape the action of .said away 'from thewall of said oi -rening chamheater thereon.

' ber, said baille Wall having a by-pass port In witness whereof I havehereunto set therethrough, and a thermostatic valve automy hand.matically controlling said by-pass port, whereby under certaintemperature condi- RALPH L. SKINNER.

